Apron taper



June 19, 1934.- c. D. MCCARTHY ET AL APRON TAPER Filed Oct. 24, 1929 ammo Won:

Uhwrles D'JwUa/rW/y Rip/Yard GTDrew.

v dkotmq Patented June 19, 1934 Charles D. McCarthy and Richard G. Drew, St.

Paul, Minn., assignors to Minnesota Mining & Manufacturing Company, St. Paul, Minn, a corporation of Minnesota Application October 24, 1929, Serial No. 402,264

6 Claims. (Cl. 154-42 This invention relates to an apron taper machine which is adapted to be used for masking aprons such as are used in the finishing of automobiles and other articles where it is desirable i to use an apron for masking out portions of the surface, particularly in connection with the use of a spray gun for applying the lacquer or finish. Our machine is adapted to automatically connect the tape with the apron as the apron is drawn off of the machine and we provide a means of connecting the two together automatically by pulling upon the free end of the roll of material which forms the apron so that the apron may be of any suitable length desired.

It is a feature of our-invention to provide an apron taper wherein the taping roll is supported in a manner to be guided to the edge of the apron and in means for automatically attaching the tape with the apron as the apron is drawn off in the 2Q desired lengths from the apron taper.

We also provide means whereby different widths of aprons may be made upon the same machine and to properly guide the apron through the taper in a manner so that the tape may be ap-,

plied along the edge. This provides an apron with an adhesive tape of a peculiar nature and wherein the tape has the desired adhesive qualities so as to be readily attached automatically as the apron is drawn from the machine, and

leaving a definite defined portion of the tape exposed so that the tape provides a strip of adhesive extending along an edge of the apron by which the apron is attached or held .in place. Our apron taper is provided with a compression roller having the desired nature to cause the adhesive tape to be attached to the apron material, together with a cutter which permits the apron to be torn off readily into the desired lengths.

It is also a feature of our invention to provide an apron taper adapted to receive different widths of aprons, together with-a guide member having a. spring nature which holds the apron roll against freely unwinding and as the free end of the apron extends under the compression roller, the apron is held from the roll virtually taut and the spring guide member prevents unwinding of the apron. This guide member is formed of a single piece of material and is adjustably positioned upon the supporting shaft forthe apron roll.

These features together with other details and objects of the invention will be more fully here-.

inafter set forth.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of our apron taper as it would appear in use.

Figure 2 is a sectional elevationof the same.

Figure 3 is a detail plan of a portion of the same.

Figure 4 apron roll.

Figure 5 illustrates the spring guide for the is a detail section showing the relative position of the apron and tape connected together.

In the drawing our apron taper A is designed of a simple nature having a frame formed with side members 10 and a bottom portion 11 which is adapted to support the side members 10.

The side members 10 extend upwardly and support the table portion 12 across the top of the sides 10 and at one end the sides are beveled away at 13 extending downward from the top 12 to the comer-portions 14and' from which point the sides extend perpendicularly to the bottom 11.

At the corner portions 14 of the side walls 10 we provide slots 15 which are adapted to receive the hollow shaft lfi which supports the apron roll 1'1, as illustrated in Figure 1. The shaft. 16 is formed with transverse recesses 18 at different points in the shaft 16 and the spring guide disc B I is adapted to fit over the shaft 16 on the recesses 18. The spring guide B is in the form of a disc and is'provided with a recess 19 extending in from one edge thereof and about the recess a marginal portion 20 which is cut from the body of the spring guide B is bent away from the body portion 21 of the guide, as illustrated in Figure 4, to form a spring-like nature to the guide B. Thus the guide B is adapted to slide into engagement with the notches 18 by the means of the recess 19 and the spring nature of the marginal portion 20 presses the body portion 21 of the guide 3 against one side of the apron roll 17 to hold the same against free rotation and thus preventunwinding of the same due to the momentum of the of the apron roll 17 when The apron taper A is provided with a shaft 22 which is positioned under the table 12 and which is adapted to receive the tape roll C as illustrated in Figure '2. An end plate 23 holds the tape roll C in position on the shaft 22 and the taping 24 of the same is adapted to extend under the idle roll 25 with the adhesive portion 26 of "the tape outward of the periphery of the wheel 25.

Extending across between the sides 10 we provide a compression roller 2'! which is supported in the side brackets 28 which project upward from the sides 10 and which is adapted to roll freely 'on top of the table 12. The table 12 is cut away at 29 adjacent to the wheel 25 which permits the wheel 25 to contact with the knurled portion 30 of the compression roller 27. This knurled portion 30 is formed on one end of the compression roller 27 and serves to engage with the longitudinal edge 31 of the apron sheet 17' which extends from the roll 17 up over the curved edge 32 of the table 12, then over the table 12 under the compression roller 27 and between the guide portions 33 and 34 and out away from the table 12. The guide 33 is fixed to one of the side walls l0,while the guide 34 is adjustably positioned in the slot 35 formed in the table 12. The outer edge 36 of the table is serrated to form a cutting or tearing edge for the apron sheet 17.

In operation our apron taper A is adapted to be supplied with an apron roll 17 of the desired width, placing the spring guide B in position to hold the roll 1'7 in proper position on the shaft 16 and a roll of adhesive tape 0 having an adhesive surface 26 which is somewhat similar to adhesive tape in operation being slow drying and having a strong adhesive property, is positioned beneath and extending to one side of the compression roller 27. The adhesive tape roll C when in position has the tape 24 extending around a portion of the wheel 25, as indicated in Figure 2, so that the adhesive surface 26 will come in contact with the under side of the apron sheet 17' and so that the compression roll 27 will press the apron sheet 17 against the adhesive surface 26 of the tape 24 along a marginal edge of the tape, leaving the major portion 26 of the adhesive surface of the tape exposed. The free edge of the apron sheet 1'7 is carried out over the-table between the guides 33 and 34, the guide 34 being adjusted to the proper position to guide the sheet 17, and thus as the free edge 38 of the sheet 17 is engaged and pulled over the table 12, the adhesive tape 24 will be attached to the longitudinal edge of the apron sheet 17' automatically. The operator can pull the sheet 17' out to give the desired length of apron and can readily tear off the same along the serrated or tearing edge 36.

This provides an apron taper such as A, which is simple in operation, always ready to supply the desired length of apron with the tape properly attached to the edge thereof, and in a simple and effective manner forming an apron taping means of a very desirable nature for automobile finishing plants or other factories where aprons are used to mask out certain portions while other parts are finished with a spray gun in applying the finishes to the desired surfaces. We have found our apron taper to be of a very desirable nature, providing a quick and ready means of supplying the apron taping means automatically as it is desired and preventing wasting of the apron material. It will be readily apparent that an apron taper of this nature is of primary importance owing to the uniform nature in which the apron is delivered with the tape properly attached thereto.

1,9es,ses

In accordance with the patent statutes we have described the principles of operation of our apron taper machine and while we have designated certain structural parts by the illustrations herein set forth, we desire to have it understood that the same is only suggestive of a means of carrying out our invention and that changes may be made within the scope of the following claims withcut departing from the spirit of the invention.

We claim:

1. An apron taping machine including, an adjustable apron roll support for different width rolls, a taping table, means for supporting a tape roll, means for inverting the adhesive surface of the tape roll, and means for automatically attaching the tape to the apron sheet as it comes from the apron roll to provide an automatically operated apron taping means.

2. An automatic apron taper including, a frame. a shaft for supporting an apron roll, a table over which said apron is adapted to be guided. a compression roll under which the apron is adapted to pass, and means for automatically guiding and attaching an adhesive tape to the longitudinal edge of the apron as the apron is drawn out of said machine.

3. An apron taper comprising, an adhesive tape supporting means, an inverting roll for said adhesive tape, an apron roll supporting means. and a compression roll adjacent said inverting roll for attaching said tape and apron automatically as the same is pulled out the desired length.

4. An apron taper including, an apron supporting roll, a table over which the sheet from the roll is adapted to extend, an adhesive tape supported adjacent said table, a tape inverting roll over which the tape is adapted to pass in a manner to contact with the longitudinal edge of the apron sheet, and means for pressing the tape into engagement with the apron sheet to automatically attach the tape to the apron sheet as the apron sheet is pulled out the desired length from the roll.

5. An apron taper comprising, a tape roll support, an apron roll support, adjustable guide flange means for guiding the apron from the roll support, means for guiding the tape in a manner to be attached to the longitudinal edge of the apron automatically as the apron is pulled from the supply roll, and means for cutting and tearing the taped apron when it is pulled out the desired length.

6. An apron taper including, a frame. an apron supply supported by said frame, a supply of nondrying pressure sensitive tape supported by said frame, and means for securing said tape to said apron including a roller over which said tape may pass, and a second roller terminating even with one edge of the apron to press the paper into contact with the tape passing over said first named roller.

CHARLES D. MoCAR'I'HY.

RICHARD G. DREW. 

